ARMENIA
The unmissable view from Sevan
f you look up Armenia's most famous spots, Lake Sevan will show up. Even though it's a bit of an easy climb, the view is 100% worth it. So this is where we headed, on our second day in Armenia.
The next day found us in Sevanavank Monastery, a monastic complex at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan, with 200 steps leading you there. On the way up you will come across various artists selling handcrafts and paintings, so you can make quick stops before you reach the monastery.
According to an inscription in one of the churches, the monastery was founded in 874 by Princess Mariam, the daughter of Ashot I (the future king) while Armenia was still fighting to free itself from Arab rule.
The whole place is majestic, stone-built and barely used, with khachkar outside and two irresistible, small dogs guarding its grounds. Khachkars are steles with crosses and other motifs carved on them, often found in churches and monasteries and characteristic of medieval Christian Armenian art. After our walk inside, we couldn’t help but sit on the edge to admire the lake below. The two churches of the complex are Surp Arakelots meaning the “Holy Apostles” and Surp Astvatsatsin meaning the “Holy Mother of God”,
When you step outside, pause for a moment to see the breathtaking view. Lake Sevan is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region and one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in Eurasia.
Fun fact: In the Middle Ages, Sevan was just the name of the island and the monastery built on it. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Russian and European sources sometimes referred to the lake as Sevanga or Sevang – per folk etymology, Sevan is either a combination of sev (“black”) and vank’ (“monastery”) or originates from the phrase sa ē vank’ə (“this is the monastery”).
If you’re thinking of visiting Lake Sevan, it’s a 2-hour drive from Yerevan but the view will make up for it.